Pittsburgh LRT extension debut looms

Pittsburgh's Port Authority of Allegheny County (pAT) says the city's North Shore Connector Project is ready for its debut March 25, as light rail transit will run from downtown under the Allegheny River.

"We will be ready to roll on the 25th,"Winston Simmonds, PAT's rail operations/engineering officer, affirmed after leading a tour of the 1.2-mile, $523.4 million extension project.

The project includes a new Gateway Station platform that doubles the size of the waiting are, and is exposed to natural light despite being below ground level.

The new North Side Station is the largest station on the LRT system. The extension ends at Allegheny Station, near Heinz Field, home of the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rides on the extension will be free, underwritten for the next three years by the Steelers, the casino, Alco Parking, and the Pittsburgh Stadium Authority.